So, you’re planning for your first time climbing outdoors and don’t know what to expect? Maybe you’ve been climbing in a gym before, or you want your first time to be special so it must be on real rock. Don’t worry, we have you covered! We’ll cover the top 5 tips for your first outdoor climbing experience, and you’ll be ready to tackle rock in no time.
Indoor vs Outdoors Climbing: Which is Right for You?
If you’re just beginning climbing, learning how in a gym is a tremendous tool that previous generations didn’t have the luxury of. Climbing gyms cater to people of all experience levels, especially beginners. By learning to climb in a gym, you’re surrounded by faculty who understand you may not know what you are doing. They are there to help you!
Many, if not all climbing gyms, offer beginner classes. If you can, I strongly recommend taking one of these courses. You’ll be paired with a knowledgeable instructor who will give you the ins and outs of body movement, know-how for sizing your shoes, climbing grades, and most importantly, how to properly fall.
Falling? Yikes. I promise, it’s not as bad as you think.
Climbing outside can be the great next step for indoor climbers to tackle larger obstacles. Or it can be a way to do something you love but outside in nature!
Before you climb outdoors for the first time, you should consider the experience level of who you’re climbing with and gauge whether they know what they’re doing. If they’ve climbed outside plenty of times, chances are they’re climbing safely and are a good resource to help you get outdoors.
What Makes an Outdoors Wall Suitable for Beginners?
To ensure you find a crag somewhere suitable for beginners, you’ll first want to research where you’re going. If you’ve climbed in a gym before, you have a rough idea of how hard [what grades] you can climb. Pick up a guidebook or download an app like Mountain Project to find walls suited to your climbing ability. Choosing a route at random to climb may leave you in over your head and needing to bail. This can result in leaving precious gear on the wall but also taking a blow to your confidence.
When learning how to start rock climb outdoors, look for a beginner-friendly wall with routes near each other. Search for routes that are below or at the grade you climb in the gym. In my experience, I have found that climbing outdoors feels harder than indoors. Maybe heed my advice and start on a route that is well below your paygrade. This will give you a feel for climbing real rock while still somewhat in your comfort zone.
Bouldering vs Crag Climbing: Which is Better for First-Time Outdoor Climbers?
The answer to this question will rely on:
- Your personal preference in style of climbing
- Your access to gear.
For instance, if all you have is a pair of shoes, it is easier to find other climbers who have crash pads rather than extra harnesses in your size. Bouldering requires the least amount of gear to do. This is a big plus!
Pros of bouldering:
- Requires less gear.
- Requires less technical knowledge.
Cons of bouldering:
- Falling can be more dangerous – every fall is a ground-fall.
- Climbing without a rope can feel scarier.
Alternatively, if you have a harness, finding people who enjoy sport climbing outside may be a better option because they likely already have the necessary gear ie: A rope, quickdraws, a belay device, extra carabiners.
Pros of sport climbing:
- Ground falls are rare since you’re attached to a rope.
- Climbing high off the ground can be exhilarating!
Cons of sport climbing:
- Requires an immense amount of technical knowledge and practice, for example:
- How to tie a safety knot.
- How to properly belay.
- How to climb safely with a rope.
- How to clean a route [retrieve all your gear]
- How to identify unsafe climbing techniques.
- How to identify dangerous rock.
- Requires more gear:
- Harness
- Shoes
- Belay Device
- Rope
- Quickdraws
(Don’t be scared by all the cons, sport climbing is my favorite way to climb!)
In my opinion, if you want to go outside climbing for the first time but are unsure if you’ll miss the comforts of climbing in a gym, I recommend bouldering. You need far less gear and technical knowledge to boulder.
Steepness and Angles: What to Expect When Climbing Outdoors for the First Time
This will all depend on where you’re climbing, but you’re likely to encounter walls that aren’t exactly like the ones you’ve climbed inside. If you’re lucky enough to climb in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky for your first time outside, get ready to fall off the biggest holds you’ve ever fallen off. The Red is home to tons of beautiful overhanging sandstone cliffs that will push your endurance to the limit.
If you’re climbing somewhere like the slabs of Whitehorse in New England, you’ll want to prepare for routes that require more technique. Yes, the walls lean away from you [slab] but that doesn’t make them easier. The lack of holds is what makes the climbing here tough. By requiring more technique and friction, Whitehorse is a great place to build your climbing head-game.
How to Prepare for Your First Time Climbing Outdoors
Getting to the cliff or boulders could be as easy as walking five minutes from your car. It all depends on where you’re climbing. Likely, though, you’ll have a hike ahead of you. This is called “the approach”. Remember that you’ll need to carry all your gear to the crag, too, so adopting some form of strength training is a great idea. This way you’re not spending more time hiking than climbing.
Remember to stretch! Stretch before the approach and stretch before you climb. I’ve found I stretch more before an indoor climbing session than an outdoor one, so I started bringing a resistance band to the crag to warm up my shoulders/arms. Doing this tricked my brain into taking the time to warm up the rest of my body too.
It’s completely natural to have anxiety about your first outdoor climbing trip. Climbing above your rope can be scary. If I haven’t sport climbed in a while, I’ll take a few practice falls to regain my confidence. I only do this once I get high enough up a route where there’s no chance to deck [hit the ground]. Doing so boosts my confidence and lets me focus on the climb rather than what would happen if I fell.
Whether you’re going bouldering or sport climbing you’ll need the correct gear. For bouldering, you’ll only need shoes and a crashpad, which is why I recommend this as your first time outdoors. Sport climbing on the other hand requires gear such as: shoes, rope, harness, quickdraws, and a belay device. If you’re climbing in a group, it’s common to split the weight of all the gear for the approach. Volunteer to carry the rope if you’re using somebody else’s gear!
Pro Tip: Bring plenty of water!
The approach and the elements alone are reason to drink a lot of water but throw in climbing to the mix? You’ll want to be hydrated! I also can’t forget to include my favorite thing to bring when I climb outside, snacks! I enjoy sweet and sugary snacks but like to carry nutritious ones too. You spend a lot of energy climbing outside. Having a little pick-me-up can be a game changer.
How to Start Rock Climbing Outside for the First Time: Step by Step Guide
- Find a partner or group of climbers – You’ll need other people to climb outside for the first time. Until you’re knowledgeable enough to go bouldering alone (although this can be very dangerous if you injure yourself) I recommend finding an experienced partner who doesn’t mind showing you the ropes. (Ha ha, get it?)
- Safety Checks – Double checking your gear could be the difference between life and death. Seriously. Double check: safety knots, properly secured harnesses, the climber has the correct amount of quickdraws, the belay device is oriented properly, and the belayer’s carabiner is locked. (See? Sport climbing requires a lot of technical knowledge, and this is before you even start climbing!)
- Communication – Like in all partnerships, communication is key.
- If a climber’s leg is in front of the rope, a fall could flip them upside down which could result in hitting their head on the wall. The climber should know not to do this, but the belayer should be able to spot it and say something to the climber.
- When climbing, it is common for beginners to inform their belayer when they’re clipping a quickdraw and when that quickdraw is clipped. This notifies the belayer to feed slack for the clip and to reel some back in after the draw [quickdraw] is clipped.
- “Take!” This informs the belayer to pull in all of the slack and bring the rope to break-position. Once that is done, the belayer will respond with something like “Take on!” “Got you!” “Yup!” The communication used between a climber and belayer doesn’t need to be a set of guidelines used by all climbers, just if each person knows what the other means.
- After sending the route [reaching the top] are you being lowered, or are you rappelling? This is something that must be communicated before anybody steps on the wall. Plenty of accidents happen where the belayer thought the climber was rappelling from the top while the climber thought they would be lowered. This results in the climber crashing down from the top of a route.
- Water! – Bring plenty of water and make sure to drink it! Climbing outside requires the approach [hike to the wall/boulders], being exposed to the elements, and climbing, of course. Not drinking enough water can end an outdoor session just as quick as your foot can slip off a hold.
- Practice! – Practice tying knots, clipping quickdraws, loading a belay device, belaying, cleaning a route.
These things can be learned when you’re outdoors for the first time, but to climb as much as possible while outside, practice the techniques you’ll be using before you go. Putting them to use when outdoors will strengthen these skills. You’ll be able to clean out routes with your eyes closed in no time! (Just kidding, don’t try cleaning a route with your eyes closed)
All we want is for your first time climbing outdoors to rock. In the end, you may find you don’t enjoy climbing outdoors and that’s totally okay! It’s better to get a taste of it before you drop a bunch of money for all the gear. Remember to find knowledgeable partners before you get outside and if you can, take a class or two!
Korey Tockes is an avid rock climber and writer pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. He shares his passion for climbing as a writer for HMH Outdoors’ publication ‘Harness’ and as the Senior Content Writer for iwannabeaclimber.com. With just under a decade of experience, Korey worked as a climbing instructor and coach and has climbed in various locations across the US. His favorite place to climb is in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Korey’s extensive travels and outdoor experience enrich his writing and allow him to connect with readers through his love for climbing.
